Hey all, I'll put translations in parenthesis under each line. I'll only include 1 chorus though ;). Here it is..


Mirk and rainy is the nicht,
(Dark and rainy is the night)
there's no' a staum in a' the carry
(there's no star in all the sky)
Lichtnin's gleam athwart the lift,
(Lightning's gleam across the lift)
and cauld winds drive wi' winters fury.
(and cold winds drive with winters fury.)

Oh, are ye sleeping Maggie
(Oh, are you sleeping Maggie)
Oh, are ye sleeping Maggie
(Oh, are you sleeping Maggie)
let me in, for loud the linn
(let me in, for the loud the waterfall)
is roarin' o'er the warlock Craigie.
(is roaring over the warlock Craigie.)

Fearfu' soughs the boortree bank
(Fearful rustling/ditches on the boortree bank - boortree is a type of tree, bearing black fruit)
The rifted wood roars wild and dreary.
(The split/open wood/forest roars wild and dreary.)
Loud the iron yett does clank,
(Loud the iron gate does clank,)
And cry of howlets makes me eerie.
(And cry of owls makes me eerie/fearful.)

Abune my breath I daurna speak
(Beyond my breath I darenot speak)
For fear I rouse your waukrife daddie;
(For fear I rouse your wakeful father)
Cauld's the blast upon my cheek,
(Cold is the blast upon my cheek)
O rise, rise my bonnie lady.
(O rise, rise my sweet/pretty lady.)

She oped the door, she let him in
(She opened the door, she let him in)
He cuist aside his dreepin' plaidie.
(He cast aside his dripping plaidie - plaid garment, probably a kilt, or could be a cloak.)
'Blaw your warst, ye rain and win'
(Blow your worst, you rain and wind)
Since, maggie, now I'm in aside ye.
(Since, Maggie, now I'm inside you.)

Now, since ye're wauken, Maggie,
(Now, since you're woken, Maggie)
Now, since ye're wauken, Maggie,
(Now, since you're woken, Maggie)
What care I for howlet's cry,
(What care I for owl's cry,)
For boortree bank or warlock craigie
(For boortree bank or warlock Craigie?)

********
Basically, the song is about a young man who travels through a dark, rainy, starless night to a large cliff or small mountain with a waterfall where a warlock named Craigie (a common surname in Scotland) lives. There is a house there, where his daughter, Maggie is inside sleeping. He is outside, under the waterfall, most likely performing a ritual. The wind is blowing cold, and there's lightning flashing across the cliff. The man is wondering if his beloved is sleeping, because he wants to be let into where she is, saying that the loud waterfall is roaring over the warlock - so he won't hear anything. He passes by a bank with boortrees on it, which are roaring wildly in the wind. There is an iron gate that is clanking loudly, and owl's hooting are making the young man scared. He is afraid to make any noise, beyond breathing, because he does not want to alert Maggie's father, the warlock Craigie. He hopes Maggie wakes up to let him in. She infact does, and closes the door behind him. He casts off his plaid cloak/kilt and falls into Maggie's embrace, saying that the wind and rain can blow its worst - it no longer matters because he is with Maggie now. Now that Maggie is awake, and with him, he is no longer afraid of the owls, the roaring trees, or Maggie's father - the warlock Craigie.

It's a powerful, romantic song about facing your greatest fear to be with your beloved. This is my own interpretation of it. I am not a scholar, and not completely fluent in Scottish Gaelic, but most of these words are easily translated to English.

Hope this helps people out :) Enjoy